Love Actually is All Around

I am away this weekend. My busy season at work is, theoretically, over.  I plan a trip each year after the busy season to serve as my light at the end of the tunnel in the midst of chaos.  This year, I planned a weekend in Port Washington/Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  Here I sit, in the Java House .  I'm spending time reading, writing, reflecting.  I can't wait to have a glass of wine and sit in front of the fire in my cute room at the Inn tonight. In preparation for this trip, I had to create a playlist.  Of course.  This is what I do.  It took me a while this morning to get it done, and it pushed back my departure time.  But it must be done.  Music is how I process life.  It's how I remember things.  I can remember what music was playing at key points in my life - important conversations etc.  It's my mental record of life - playlists. It works like this. I create a playlist - letting my mind pick whatever seems right. ...

In church yesterday morning, we all recited the Lord's prayer together.  "Our Father...give us this day our daily bread...deliver us from  email. "  Wait, what?  I've been praying this prayer since I was born.  Why did I just say  email  instead of  evil ?  Maybe it was just a slip of my tired mind.  But, as I do with most things, I wanted to dig a little deeper and uncover WHY I feel the need to be delivered from email. My former pastor, Matt Tebbe, once tweeted this:  The most neglected and undervalued spiritual discipline: sleep.  Easy to forget how vital it is to surrender to how God made me.   This really hit home for me.  My whole life, sleep has been a struggle for me.  Partially because I am naturally a night owl.  But I'm never really tired.  Naps are not in my vocabulary. I physically can't do it.  It is almost impossible for my head to hit the pillow and for me to instantly fall asleep...

I found out today that Kahlua (my sister & sister-in-law's dog) has bone cancer. It's spread and her time left with us will be short.  Kahlua is an old dog - a lab mix, rescue dog.  She's about 11-years-old.  She's had a wonderful life and, though I am sad it is nearing the end, I am so thankful for this sweet pup.  I wanted to share a few stories about her, if you will indulge me. Photo credit: Marni Levinson Kahlua is a special dog - the BEST dog, if I may be so bold.  Am I biased? Of course. But she managed to win over my mom and my friend Sarah (who both don't like dogs), so that's saying something.  She is incredibly sweet and gentle.  She has always been very mild and her favorite thing is pretty much just to exist around people who love her.  ...And she also loves dry pasta and cheese as treats :)  I am Kahlua's primary dog-sitter when her moms are out of town, so we are buddies.  Before my niece and nephew were born, sh...

The introvert extrovert debate rages on.  Do you think I am an introvert or an extrovert? I am in fact an introvert, by definition.  I am an outgoing introvert.  Does that sound like a contradiction? It's not.  Introverts are individuals who draw their energy from being alone. Solitude.  That doesn't mean they can't enjoy being with people or that they have to be shy and quiet.  In the same way that being an extrovert doesn't mean one has to be the life of the party.  They draw energy from being with people. When I take the Myers-Briggs test, it declares me an extrovert...or I am right on the line, split 50/50.  This is one of many reasons why I hate these personality tests.  They can be tools to help us understand one another, yes. But we are all complicated beings.  I cannot be defined by a series of letters based on a quiz. I recently read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking (Susan Cain) .  It wa...

About a year and a half ago, I decided to grow out my hair so I could donate it.  When cancer patients go through chemo and lose their hair, it can be incredibly difficult.  As women, hair is so much a part of our identity. How we see ourselves. Often how we find our femininity.  My Aunt Kathy lost her hair when she was in treatment and that inspired me to do what I could to help patients.  There are some great organizations out there that give wigs to patients for FREE, like Pantene Beautiful Lengths . My hair is now long enough to donate (most places require a minimum of 8 inches), and I've decided to keep it long for a while longer. I'm running the Chicago Half Marathon in September, and pulling my hair back while running is much easier than working with a shorter style. I hope to cut it on my birthday, 3 days after the Chicago Half!  My hair hasn't been this long...well, maybe ever.  Here are some interesting lessons I've learned: Pull your hair ba...

My best friend got married last weekend.  On their first date, he packed a picnic and they went to the Botanic Gardens.  The walked around then found a spot to set up their picnic and they read aloud to each other.  They are made for each other.  Me?  If a guy planned that for our first date, he'd have a hard time convincing me that we should go on a second date.  An ideal first date for me?  Take me to a game. Or just to bar to watch one over a couple of pints. The Blackhawks are in the midst of the semifinals against the LA Kings - the reigning champs.  They won last night on the road.  This was LA's first loss at home in the playoffs this year. And one of the Hawks'  best players was out.  The Blackhawks play as a team.  Yes - they have some great players and some good players.  At the end of the day (or game, I suppose), they play as a team. And I love watching that. The Miami Heat is in the final series for the NB...

I'm sitting at my favorite Caribou Coffee for the last time (holding back tears, for reals).  Caribou is such an integral part of my life.  I feel like a dear friend is moving away.  Melodramatic?  Perhaps.  But who wants to sit and read or have deep conversation at a Starbucks?  Not me.  There is no warmth there. No fireplace. No beautiful wood tables with fun benches to sit on. No chalkboards to draw pictures or spell out your thoughts. No area for kids to play. No pictures of the founders adorning the walls. No trivia questions. Can I say no character?  Perhaps I am being too harsh. I like Starbucks for work and meetings. But it says nothing to my soul. Caribou - well, it is a place my soul has always felt at home. I worked at Caribou for a short time and grew closer to one of my besties, Sarah, during that time.  We used to send each other ridiculous messages in the memo line on the computer screens (sample: Devo = whipped cream. Whip i...